NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Four teenagers were injured, one critically, in a shooting at the downtown Nashville MTA bus station Monday afternoon.
WKRN News 2 reports that Metro-Nashville police have detained two 17-year-olds for questioning since the 3:30 p.m. shooting at Music City Central, which is located at Fifth and Charlotte avenues just blocks from the Tennessee State Capitol.
According to authorities, surveillance video shows 18-year-old Javious Chatman exiting an escalator inside the bus station.
Chatman spoke to other people and milled around the bottom of the escalator before a number of shots were fired, according to police spokesman Don Aaron.
The 18-year-old was hit in his stomach area and suffered critical injuries. He was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. An update on his condition has not been released.
Three other teenagers were also injured by gunshot wounds and taken to Vanderbilt with non-life threatening injuries. They’ve been identified as Nathaniel Webb and Jonathan Stoner, both 16, and Jalen Jeffries, 17.
Police said a window washer at the nearby John Sevier State Office Building witnessed a crowd running from the bus terminal onto sidewalks and up the street.
The washer reported he witnessed two men run up and down the steps of the office building before tossing a gun into nearby bushes.
Officers arrived moments later, and he window washer yelled from his perch, “Stop them! Stop them!” and pointed police in the direction of the two men.
Those two men, identified as 17-year-olds, were then taken into custody for questioning. A semi-automatic pistol was recovered from the bushes.
It has not been determined if that was the gun used in the shooting or how those teens came to possess it.
The teens are being questioned; no charges have been filed at this time.
Two officers, along with at least two former officers working in a security capacity, were at Music City Central at the time of the shooting but not near the incident.
Police spokesman Aaron said in a press conference the shooting “does not appear at all to be a random, happenstance event.” He said surveillance shows the teenagers riding the escalators up and down, up and down, “as if they were looking for someone” and “looking to do harm” against someone else.
Aaron noted there are multiple camera angles inside the MTA bus terminal and surveillance is “really good.” The footage will be investigated as they follow a number of leads.
“We are trying to develop a complete picture of what happened and why,” he told the media.
There will also be a strong police presence Tuesday during the early morning and late afternoon rush hours as students transfer to other buses to get to and from school. It is estimated that more than 4,000 young people pass through Music City Central to transfer buses each day.
Detectives, aided by surveillance video, are pursuing a number of leads as they work to identify the shooter. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward. Persons can also send an electronic tip by texting the word “CASH” along with the message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.nashvillecrimestoppers.com.